By Dr. Larry Medwetsky

The voice of a loved one, the harmony and words of a favorite tune, the enjoyment of an afternoon with friends. These are only some of the sounds that can add so much to one's life. Yet, for many individuals, these sounds are not readily accessible. In fact, permanent hearing loss is very common with over 10% of the population experiencing some degree of disability; in seniors, this percentage is even greater with 50% of those over 65 years of age having a hearing loss and close to 80% for those 85 years and older.

Difficulty hearing basic questions, missing key parts of conversation, and failure to catch important details often leads to much stress and anxiety. Individuals may go out less often to movies, plays, or even social gatherings just because they find it too hard to hear. Who wants to pay a lot of money to go out to an event, or even go out to social places when one misses so much! In addition, hearing loss affects not only the individual but everyone with whom they come in contact. Family members and friends also experience the frustrations of hearing loss, and, in many cases, become angry with or socialize less with the hearing impaired individual.

There is good news however, for individuals with hearing loss or family members who feel that their loved ones are not hearing as well as they should. Hearing aids have improved greatly in the past few years and with the latest in digital (computerized) technology, almost anyone with hearing loss can be successfully fit. Hearing assistive devices such as telephone amplifiers or TV listeners are also very effective. Yet, research shows that only 20% of individuals with hearing loss do anything to improve their hearing. One main reason may be that most people just don't know how much they are missing. One of the best ways to find out if you (or a loved one) may have a hearing problem is to get your hearing checked by a licensed Audiologist. They will be able to tell you if hearing loss is present, identify your options and help you make well informed decisions. With the development of digital hearing aids, audiologists can now easily demonstrate the latest digital hearing aid technology, thus allowing you to determine if you really can hear better when you have hearing aids on (i.e., hearing is believing). With so much that is now available to help people with hearing loss, why wait and suffer needlessly? Hear better and feel better.

Dr. Larry Medwetsky is Vice President of Clinical Services at the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center. Dr. Medwetsky can be reached at 585-271-0680 x 245 or via e-mail at lmedwetsky@rhsc.org